Boom!
The Golden Ark burst through the ocean's surface, its coating dissolving as Brook and his crew officially returned to the New World.
"Head straight for Dressrosa to link up with Shiki and the others!" Brook ordered, handing the eternal pose for Dressrosa to shipwright Tom. Together with Redfield, Tom guided the Golden Ark as it took flight, soaring toward their destination.
Brook had already arranged with Shiki and Shakky to meet at Green Bit, an island near Dressrosa, to seek out the Tontatta Kingdom's dwarves. Known as the "Green Keepers," these rare beings could cultivate any plant, making them the perfect allies for growing artificial Devil Fruits in the future.
Their honesty was legendary—they never lied and trusted others almost too easily, which made them ripe for persuasion. Brook wasn't about to miss the chance to recruit such a valuable race. Plus, their strength was staggering. Even Zoro, the muscle-bound training fanatic, was floored when these pint-sized powerhouses threw tantrums that cracked the earth!
Green Bit was roughly the size of Ohara, a small island. Brook wondered if Shiki could float it like he had others or if they'd need to return later to relocate it. Perhaps they could even move the entire Tontatta tribe to Ohara. Compared to Mortomas's flock of tens of thousands of news seagulls, the dwarves would be a breeze to transport and wouldn't take up much space.
Even loaded with two Poneglyphs, the Golden Ark, powered by its lightning system and Wind Shells, was far faster than the Ohara-Golden Island. Brook hoped they could catch up before Shiki's crew reached Green Bit.
"Antonio, call Shakky on the Den Den Mushi and get a rough fix on their position!" Brook instructed, urgency in his voice.
They needed to regroup fast. After heading to the Sabaody Archipelago to return hostages, Brook had taken most of their heavy hitters, leaving the Golden Island vulnerable. A single attack could spell trouble.
After all, Vesper's crew, led by Orion with his Wind-Wind Fruit, boasted top-tier swordsmen capable of slicing into the sky. A Yonko-level pirate could cleave through clouds—hitting the slower-moving Ohara-Golden Island floating above wasn't out of the question.
...
Meanwhile, on the Hell Pirates' turf, Elan Island.
Shirokiri, a rising star under Vesper's crew, sailed his personal ship to Elan Island under the guise of an ally. His mission? To deliver 999 roses to his long-time crush, Angelie, a wavy-haired beauty who had captured his heart.
The Hell Pirates had drifted away from the Yonko Alliance, teetering on the edge of breaking ties completely. They could become enemies any day now, and Shirokiri was desperate to win Angelie over before that happened. If their crews became foes, any chance of romance would vanish—they'd be on opposite sides of a war.
With Brook and his main forces gallivanting across the West Blue and Grand Line, Shirokiri saw his window. He'd use the classic pirate tactic: relentless, shameless pursuit!
"Shirokiri, this is the third time I've told you to get off this island!" Angelie snapped, glaring at him.
"I'm not into sloppy, reckless pirates like you!"
Her disdain was palpable. To her, Shirokiri was a mess—his dreadlocks unwashed for months, clothes stained black, teeth yellowed with tobacco, and smoky eyeliner thicker than hers. Back when Shirokiri's father, Vesper, handed her father Edward's territory to Brook, the Edward Pirates became a shadow of their former Yonko glory. If Angelie hadn't sworn allegiance to Brook, joining the Hell Pirates as their top affiliate crew, the Edward Pirates would've been wiped out entirely.
"Angelie, no! When you looked at me back then, I saw it in your eyes—there was love! You can't fake that spark!"
Shirokiri clutched his vibrant roses, his gaze earnest, almost saintly. His reputation as a Overlord's son and his undeniable charisma had plenty of female pirates swooning, eager to take Angelie's place. But to Angelie, he was a walking disaster. The dreadlocks, the grime, the smoky makeup—if he were already her lover, she might tolerate it. But now? Pure revulsion.
If not for Shirokiri's strength—too much for even her and Bull-san combined—she'd have already grabbed a chair and a sandal to chase him off!
"That was then, this is now!" Angelie shot back. "After your father stole our top officers and gave our territory to the Hell Pirates, all that's left between us is bad blood!"
She was done with this pointless back-and-forth. It was drawing a crowd of gawking pirates, making her look incompetent. Brook had tasked her with holding Elan Island, yet Shirokiri kept barging in, stirring trouble.
It made the Hell Pirates seem weak, and Angelie wasn't about to take the blame for that. If it came to a fight, she'd lose—Shirokiri was the New World's infamous "strongest under the Overlord." But his persistent "romantic" invasions were tarnishing her reputation as nothing more than a pretty face.
Per Brook's orders, Angelie's priority was her own safety. These islands weren't critical to him. He'd even given her a backup plan: lure Shirokiri to the Roger Pirates and let them deal with him.
As luck would have it, the Roger Pirates had just finished touring Brook's territories and were about to leave the Bristol Island waters for their next adventure.
Angelie shot Shirokiri one last scathing look, then rallied Bull-san and her crew to set sail. Following Brook's strategy, she'd lead Shirokiri straight to Roger's crew—time to redirect this trouble eastward!
...
Shirokiri watched Angelie's retreating figure, her graceful silhouette fading as his lovesick expression crumbled. The devotion in his eyes dimmed.
So, love could fade after all.
With a bitter laugh, he tossed the roses aside. His gaze hardened, a mix of pain and resolve. If a pirate wanted something, he'd take it the pirate way.
Shirokiri boarded the personal ship and gave chase, tailing Angelie's ship across the open sea. This time, he'd claim his prize—no matter what it took.
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